Automatic drawbar and car coupler



April 11, 1939.

Filed Aug. 17, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /4 c5 ILTT-l Z 2 11 :I! I I/ l! 3 ATTORNEYS.

April 11, 1939. v p E ETAL 2,154,415

AUTOMATIC DRAWBAR AND CAR COUPLER 7 Filed Aug. 17, 19s? 1 2 Sheets-Sheet2 ZZZ-r- E arm w =1 Will/W11 /0' INVENTORS Patented Apr. 11 1939 UNITEDSTATES AUTOMATIC DRAWBAR AND CAR COUPLER Lloyd Price, Van

Wert, Ohio, and Leroy Price, Muncic, Ind

pp ication August 17.1937, Serial No. 159,584 1 Claim. (cram-11's) Ourvpresent.- invention pertains to improved 1 automatic draw-barandcarcoupler and it comtemplates thepr'ovision of means so constructed andarranged that it permits the knuckle oi the. 5 coupler to opensufficiently widelso as to comply with Federal laws with regard tocoupler construction. a v The invention further contemplates theprovision in a lock-bar and car coupler whereby the i knucklearrangement serves as a base to permit the'coupling pin to be held insuch a position so that the knuckle can open to its full width withoutthe pin dropping and locking the knuckle in an open position.

- The invention further contemplates the provision in a car-coupler ofan extension whereby when the knuckle is closed the extension restsbehind a retaining wall and in event of the knuckle pin breaking, theshank of the knuckle would remain in position and permit pull of thecars-and this arrangement guarantees positive operative working of theknuckle and coupler regardless of the accidental'displacement oi theusual knuckle pin. Y

The invention further contemplates the provision in a knuckle coupler ofa retaining wall in which the spring present in all couplers is "builtin" and this construction in addition to strengthening the body portionof the coupler serves as a base against which the knuckle rides whenclosed, thereby forcing it to stay in said closed position should theknuckle pin break.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a closed springhousing arranged in the coupler by use of an iron spring plug andmounted so as to protect the spring from exposure to weather conditionsthereby eliminating an objection generally present in couplers now inuse.

The invention further contemplates a coupler 4!) having built up bumperportions on the.top and bottom thereot whereby the body portion of thecoupler adjacent the lock-bar is materially strengthened and in additionthe bottom outside edges of the jaws are arranged with flanges whichalso tend to strengthen the body head oi the coupler. 1

Other objects and advantages will be fully understoodwhen read inconnection with the drawings and specification attached hereto, in whichFigure 1 is a plan view oi my novel coupler construction.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken in the plane 3-3 in Figure 2 andlooking in the direction of the arrows, and further illustrating. the

knuckle before. coupling and in normal position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but show- Iing the deviceaftercoupling with particular attention invited to the dual locked positionof my novel extension with the usual pin.

Figure 5 is a. transverse'sectional view taken in the plane indicatedbygS-f-S of Figure 3 and showing the pin in its uncoupledposition.

Figure 6 is a similar view to Figure 5 and taken in a plane indicated bythe line 6--6 of Figure 4 and showing the pin down as when adjacent carsare coupled.

. Figure '7 illustrates in sectional view the action that takes placeshould one or both of the pins of the knuckle be lost and furtherillustrating 15 how the extension holds behind and abuts the springcasing soas to prevent displacement of the jaws with respect to eachother.

'Figure 8 is a detailed view of the construction of the inner end of theknuckles and showing the i arrangement of the stud that constantly holdsthe spring with regard to the jaws or knuckles notwithstanding thedirection of movement of said jaws.

Figure. 9 is a detailed view showing the locking bar and the dependingpin thereof.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all theviews of the drawings.

Our novel device comprises the usual coupler shank I indicated as awhole having the head indicated as a whole by 2 and the ears 3 andadapted to pass through the ears are pintles 4 while also adapted to beengaged by the pintles l is a knuckle or jaw 5 that in turn is providedwith a nose 6 and a body portion or arm I. Particu- 35 lar attention isdirected to the fact that formed integral on the inner ends or rear armsof each "of the knuckles or jaws 5 is the extension or nose 8 and thisnose 8 is one of the salient features of my invention and because of theconstruction o of the interior wall of the head 2 and the springretaining casing the nose or extension 8 will always travel and'beconfined within the interior of the head 2 during the closed oroperative position of the coupler. This extension is however, permittedto ride to such a position when the jaws are'opened that said jaws willbe opened A clevis u is secured by means of a; pintle I! to the bar 9and a chain I3 is secured to the clevis and permits'operation'of thelocking bar.

Formed in and mounted on the head 2 is an abutment or spring housingthat extends slightly beyond the lateral edge of the head anddependswithin the head and is in fact an integral portion of said head.This abutment materially increases the tensile strength of the head andis provided with the bore l5 that in turn confines the jaw actuatingspring IS. The normal action of this spring and the confinement hereofwithin the bore '15 is controlled by the plug l1 and mounted on theinner edge of the body portion 1 of the nose ,6 and adjacent and inclose proximity to the extension 8' is a stud l8. This stud l8 engagesthe spring on its inner end and guides said 1 spring during theoperation of the jaws. The

spring tends to bias the knuckles to an open position" and the abutmentI 4 as before stated acts in conjunction with the inner under wall ofthe head constiuting a chamber or confining space for the extensionduring the locked position of the jaws or knuckles regardless ofexisting conditions and the said extension in conjunction with-the pin[0 of the bar 9 permits pulling of cars regardless of the loss orbreakage of one or both of the pintles 4 or coupled abutting jaws. Thedevice is simple in construction, inex- "tion extending within saidhead, the rear wall of said lower portion and the under wall of the headconstituting the walls-of a chamber, said head having a nose formed onone end thereof.

a knuckle having a rear arm pivotally arranged on the head and actuablein one direction by means of a draw bar, a spring confined within thespring housing, a stud mounted on the rear arm of the knuckle andadapted to engage the spring to bias the knuckle to an open position,

an integral extension formed on the rear arm of the knuckle and soconstructed and arranged that it is normally co'nflned'within saidchamber when the knuckle is in" the locking position whereby casualdisplacement or breakage of the pm by which the knuckle is hinged on thehead will prevent the extension from being unseated within its confinedspace, substantially as and fo r the purpose specified.

LEROY PRICE.

